Nongame Bird Blog

Bald Eagle nest monitoring is an annual project of the Nongame Bird Program. Fortunately, we are assisted by numerous partners and individuals such as the National Park Service-Missouri River National Recreational River, the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Bald Eagles bred in the state historically but were absent as a breeding species for at least a century, if not longer. Not all that long ago, Bald Eagles were state and federally listed as …

I, like many other dedicated birders, will be out in the elements this upcoming Saturday searching for birds as Christmas Bird Count (CBCs) season kick off. CBCs are several things: serious birding, volunteerism, a little bit of socializing, a dash of competition, citizen science and just getting outside during a season when it can be a little too easy to find excuses not to venture out. CBCs were initiated in 1900 by Frank Chapman as an alternative to Christmas side …

The cold weather has settled in and with it comes Bald Eagles. Away from reliable winter eagle viewing spots such as Lake Ogallala during the depths of winter, eagle viewing is generally best in Nebraska when large reservoirs and rivers are transitioning from open water to ice and vice versa. Bald Eagle numbers increase as birds that breed to the north of us are migrating through our state. Open water “holes” amid the sheet of ice attract and concentrate …

Two years ago, about this time of year, I had an juvenile Rufous Hummingbird visiting my backyard feeder. Late November and Nebraska are not the best combination for a hummingbird. Once this little bird started to struggle and the outlook for its survival over the winter became dim, it was deposited at the Henry Doorly Zoo. Here, the bird found refuge at the butterfly pavilion. Last week, I was back at the Henry Doorly Zoo. I inquired whether the little …

Work duties allow me to travel to all parts of the state and this past weekend I was stationed at the Turbine Mart in Springview, Keya Paha County, to check deer during opening weekend of firearm season. Even though I was overwhelmingly consumed by work, I did have some slivers of time to enjoy some of the beautiful sights and birds in this area. The Niobrara River valley is a remarkable place and birds were surprisingly numerous. Large flocks …

Last month I blogged about Whooping Crane identification because, I knew then, Whooping Crane would soon be moving through the state. Well, a few birds have been observed in the state. NGPC Southwest District Staff reported and documented twelve Whooping Cranes stopping-over in Frontier County last week. Some photos were taken and these are shared, below. Special thanks to Chad Taylor for his work reporting these Whoopers and also to Terry Perks for the photographs.

This time of fall is exciting for us duck hunters. Each cold front brings down another flight of migrating waterfowl. The wonderment of what could be out there is overwhelming. Arriving mid-morning on the scene to find a monstrous raft of ducks on the water is exhilarating. Of course, blood begins pulsing as you set-up your Kowa or Leica spotting scope on its window-mount and you begin to methodically sift through the flock, identifying individual birds to species and anticipating …

One of the purposes of doing this blog is to hopefully expose a few people to new things about Nebraska’s birds and birding. On Thursday morning last week, Lauren Dinan and I made a trek, a pilgrimage if you don’t mind a little bit of hyperbole, to Audubon’s Spring Creek Prairie near Denton. This was a no nonsense trip seeking one thing……to find the elusive Sprague’s Pipit (Anthus spragueii). Not only were our efforts rewarded with a Sprague’s, but we …

The period when Whooping Cranes migrate through Nebraska is here. Whooping Cranes migrate from breeding sites at Wood Buffalo Park, Canada, to their wintering sites at and near Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Texas, every fall. In four to six weeks, hopefully the entire Aransas-Wood Buffalo flock of about 300 birds has successfully migrated to Texas. Migrating 2,500 miles is risky business and this is a critical few weeks for these birds. NGPC, along with our partners, rely on the …

This letter arrived in the Nongame Bird Program mailbag late last week: Mr. Jorgensen: I found this tag [bird band] on Holmes Golf Course in Lincoln. A Red-tailed Hawk and one of its offspring were eating whatever this tag was attached to. Please send me any info you get regarding this tag. I’m curious to know what the raptors were eating. Thanks, – Jerry in Lincoln. Jerry: Thanks for the letter and for sending in the bird band. Different bird …